


Nick Gets the Flu

by valis2



Series: Gratuitous Nick Hurt/Comfort [5]
Category: Riptide (TV)
Genre: Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Slash, h/c
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-26
Updated: 2013-08-26
Packaged: 2017-12-24 17:54:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/942910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/valis2/pseuds/valis2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cody comes home from attending his mother's fourth wedding to find the other two Riptide residents not feeling very blissful either.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nick Gets the Flu

**Author's Note:**

> This is exactly what the series title states: gratuitous Nick h/c. There is very little plot. No beta. Just Nick, and h/c. Special thanks to der_tanzer for cheering me on. :)

* * *

Cody breathed a sigh of relief as the Riptide came into view. The late evening air was fresh and cool, the scent of the sea calming him as nothing else could.

He paid the cabbie and grabbed both of his bags from the trunk before walking down the companionway. It was a relief to be away from the stagnant heat of Florida, away from his mother and her fussy wedding jitters. The ceremony had taken place yesterday, and it had just been too much--too much fake smiling, too many flowers, too much chaos, too many decisions. His mother's new husband of twenty-four hours--husband number four--seemed uninterested in helping with much. He'd vanished to the golf course early on in the trip, leaving Cody to deal with his panicking mother, the ditzy wedding planner, trying to corral all of the bridesmaids (every one of them from her bridge club), and afterward, the cleaning up.

Cody reached the dock and drank in the sight of his home, bobbing gently in the water. After getting the stomach flu just before he'd left for Florida, and then dealing with the stress of the event, he was more than ready for a vacation from his vacation. He wondered if Nick and Murray would be up for a trip out into the open ocean for some peace and quiet (and maybe a few fish). Hopefully they'd been busy in the past two weeks and there was money in the account. He'd barely been able to call them while he was in Florida; his mother had taken up most of his time.

Dropping one of his duffels on the fantail, he unlocked the wheelhouse doors and went through, finding Murray in his pajamas in the salon, pouring over a long trail of greenbar printouts. Murray looked up and blinked at him, and then blinked again owlishly. "Cody?"

"Hey, Murray." Cody smiled, sliding into the bench seat. His smile faded when he looked around the salon, noticing dirty plates and empty cans of Mountain Dew alongside scattered papers and what looked like one of Nick's red helicopter tours t-shirts smudged with oil.

"I thought you weren't supposed to be back until tomorrow." Murray frowned, then turned, presumably to look for the Roboz. "Maybe I forgot to program the date algorithm...but I could have sworn I entered it--"

"No, I took an earlier flight." Cody picked up the end of the greenbar and toyed with it. "What's this about?"

"This?" Murray blinked again. "Oh! The printout! Well, since I've been feeling better, I've been working on a new version of Roboz's vocal synthesizer, actually. I've scrapped several different designs in the past, but do you know, I think I might be onto something--"

"Since what?" Cody frowned, looking at him. "Since you've been feeling better? Were you sick?"

"Oh, yes!" Murray nodded. "I came down with that stomach flu you had before you left. I was throwing up for a day and a half! I thought I'd never be able to eat again." He shuddered, but then brightened. "I feel much better now, though. It's a good thing we didn't have any cases, though, because it's given me time to recover."

Cody looked closer. Murray seemed a bit paler than usual, with dark circles under his eyes. Worry blossomed as he thought of Murray being so sick; the stomach flu hadn't been the worst he'd ever had, but it was still pretty awful.

Then something occurred to him. "Nick knew you were sick."

Murray looked confused. "Well, of course. He helped take care of everything."

"He never mentioned it on the phone."

"Ah..." Murray flushed a light red. "Well, he didn't...ah...we didn't want to worry you. You seemed so stressed, so we..."

"We."

"...uh, well, I don't think I was really making well-informed decisions at the time, but--"

"So Nick decided, you mean."

Murray looked sheepish. "Well, I agreed with him afterward. And I didn't have it _that_ bad, after all. Nick took really good care of me--"

_Yeah. He's taking great care of you right now, in fact, letting you go through printouts when you should obviously be in bed._ Cody tamped down on a flare of anger. "You look a little tired."

Murray yawned. "You know, now that you say it, I kind of am..."

Cody guided a worn-out Murray up the stairs and helped him get into his pajamas. Murray didn't look _too_ bad, but still, he'd clearly overexerted himself that day, and he crashed pretty much as soon as his head hit the pillow. He was snoring softly before Cody even left the room.

Back in the salon, his mind swirled with worry about Murray and indignation that Nick hadn't told him. He knew that it was probably a good idea to keep the news from him, given that he was too far away to do anything to help, but still, he resented it.

He accidentally kicked a half-full can of Mountain Dew on the floor and it fell over, spilling its contents into the carpet. He swore, grabbing the red shirt from the table and using the non-oily parts to mop up the soda.

"Cody?"

He looked up to see Nick standing halfway up the aft stairway. "Hey." Cody stood up, wiping his hands on the shirt and dropping it back on the table.

"What..." Confusion was clear on Nick's face.

"I came home early." Cody crossed his arms. "And what a nice pair of surprises I've had. Let me try to piece together what happened...as a detective, you know, I'm good at that." He paused to glare at him. "No cases for the past week and a half, so you had nothing to do except keep the Riptide in shipshape and look after Murray when he came down with the stomach flu. But from what I can tell, you did neither."

Nick opened his mouth to reply, but Cody cut him off. "Murray was here in the salon, so tired he could barely keep his eyes open. He should have been in bed, resting. You know how easy it is for him to overwork himself!" He looked around. "And the salon--it's a disaster! Is the rest of the boat as bad?"

Nick's guilty expression answered him.

"And why didn't you tell me about Murray?" demanded Cody. "I know you probably didn't want me to worry, but it feels worse, finding out he was sick after the fact. You know how rough the stomach flu can be for him. Last time he ended up in the ER."

"Yeah," said Nick hoarsely.

"Look, it's late. We should probably go to bed as well." He fixed Nick with another look. "But we're going to talk about this more tomorrow." He picked up his duffel and tossed it closer to Nick. "Take that below, I'll get the other." He turned and went back to the fantail, feeling a pang of guilt for chewing Nick out so much, but still, he couldn't help but feel upset over the whole situation. It rankled that Murray had been so sick and he hadn't known.

He paused for a moment while on the fantail and let himself savor the wonderful ocean-scented breeze. The sunset was gorgeous; he let it calm him, bring him peace. Now that he was home, he could put it all to rights. Tomorrow he and Nick would clean the whole boat from stern to aft, and then the next day after that--if Murray was feeling up to it--they'd try to hit the pavement and drum up new business.

He closed and locked the wheelhouse doors, turned off the salon lights and headed town the aft stairway. The door to the head was closed, and he heard water running. He went to their cabin and put his bag down next to the other one. There were piles of dirty clothes on the floor, and the room smelled musty. Cody sighed in exasperation, feeling some of his peace evaporate. He heard the door to the head open.

"Tomorrow, pal, you and I are going to have our hands full. I think we'll even have to enlist the Roboz." Cody moved both duffels to the foot of his bunk and didn't bother unpacking them as there was no room for the dirty clothes. He'd just take them to the laundromat as they were.

There was no answer, just a small thump.

Confused, Cody went back into the hallway, and froze. Nick was on his knees, half in the hall, half in the head, leaning on the doorframe.

"Nick?" asked Cody. "Are you okay?" His heart did a sudden double-thump.

Nick raised his eyes, and now that he was so close Cody could see how pale he was, the exhaustion and dizziness in his eyes, the shakiness in his hands. The realization that Nick was so ill struck him hard.

_Some detective I am._

"You got it too?" He couldn't keep the worry from his voice as he got down on his knees, one hand immediately checking Nick's forehead, the other helping to support him.

Nick gave a weary nod. "Couple days now." His voice was rough.

So it was in the early stages. "Still throwing up?"

"Yeah." He coughed.

"Damn. How often?"

"Every couple hours, maybe." Nick closed his eyes.

Cody thought for a moment. Nick was sweaty and felt too warm. "Want to take a shower?"

Nick rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. "Maybe?"

"I'll help." All of his anger had turned to guilt; it was no wonder that the boat was a mess and that Murray was fending for himself. "C'mon, big guy, can't wear clothes in the shower." He helped Nick pull the sweat-damp sleeveless shirt over his head and also get rid of his sweatpants. He could feel the warmth rolling off Nick--not enough to be truly worrisome, but it would be great if he could cool off a little before Cody put him in bed. When Cody'd been sick, Nick had done the same for him, and it had felt wonderful. "Can you stand up?"

Nick nodded, and together they hauled him to his feet. He was only a little shaky, and Cody ran some lukewarm water and got him into the tiny shower before running off to grab the cordless phone. He punched in Doc Harris's number and was relieved when he answered on the second ring. He was even more relieved when Doc agreed to come over immediately.

Back in the head, he found Nick kneeling on the shower floor, water sluicing over his back, one hand on the wall.

"Enough?" asked Cody. Nick nodded, and Cody ransacked the tiny linen closet. There were only two towels left, and he grabbed both, coming back to the shower and turning off the water. Nick blinked sluggishly as Cody wrapped him in one of the towels, helping him to his feet and supporting him as he took a few unsteady steps in the hallway.

"How's your stomach?"

"Okay," rasped Nick.

"When did you last throw up?"

"When I..." He swallowed and looked miserable. "Just...before."

Cody did a quick mental review of what had just happened. "When I went to get the duffel?"

Nick nodded. He closed his eyes, as if he were too exhausted to keep them open, and Cody guided him carefully into their room, one step at a time. Once they were standing in between the bunks, Cody toweled him off quickly, and then helped him get into his bunk, drawing a sheet up to his chest.

Through the half-closed blinds he saw a pair of legs walk past on the dock, and he scrambled up the stairs, not wanting Doc Harris to knock and wake up Murray. He reached the wheelhouse doors just in time and gestured for quiet. "Murray's sleeping," he explained quietly as Doc followed him down the aft stairway to their cabin.

"Hey, Ryder," said Doc, sitting down on Cody's bunk and pulling out a stethoscope and blood pressure cuff. "Not feeling great, eh? I hear that Typhoid Cody has claimed another victim."

Nick opened his eyes slowly, giving him a wan grin, a shadow of his usual infectious smile. His eyes moved side to side in a strange way and Cody realized that he was dizzy.

"I'm just going to check a few things," said Doc in his usual manner, casual yet strangely comforting, and Cody felt some of the anxiety recede. The exam was quick and efficient, as Doc always was, and then he helped Nick lie on his side.

Doc stood up and began to pack his bag. "He's dehydrated--not enough to be a problem, but you should have him sip water or Gatorade as much as possible. He should stay in bed for the next few days. He's running a low-grade fever but I wouldn't give him anything for it unless it raises by a couple degrees because it'll mess with his stomach." He picked up his bag. "After that, you know the drill, same as I told Nick when you--and Murray--caught this bug. When he's ready, start with bland foods, toast, crackers, and go easy on him for a while. He's really run down and needs some time to recover."

Cody nodded, thanking him, and then showed him out the wheelhouse doors. The last blush of sunset was barely visible now, and he locked the doors and checked on Murray again, who was sleeping soundly.

Back in their cabin, Nick was curled into a ball, tangled up in the sheets already, and Cody helped him uncurl a little, smoothing out the sheet. He went into the galley and grabbed a cup and filled it with Gatorade; Nick had bought several containers from Vons, from the looks of it. 

Nick didn't seem like he wanted to drink anything, but Cody kept at him until he gave in and sipped a little Gatorade, grimacing as he did so. Cody tucked him back in and sat down on his own bunk.

Nick closed his eyes. "Gonna watch me sleep?"

"Yes."

"Sorry...about the mess." Nick coughed.

"I'm sorry I was so angry." He ran a hand through his hair. "I just..."

"I get it. The wedding was stressful." He put a hand to his throat and grimaced.

Cody knelt down next to Nick's bunk. "You need to stop talking. Here, drink a little more." He helped Nick sit partway up and gave him another sip. 

Nick slid back under the covers, eyelids fluttering shut, and Cody gently stroked his bare shoulder, letting the light caress speak for him, apologizing, reassuring.

Nick was out in under a minute.

* * *

Cody dreamt about being trapped under a pile of flowers, their scented weight slowly squashing him while he tried to wriggle away. He startled awake in the dark, blinking slowly in confusion. The smell of unwashed laundry reminded him that he was home and aboard the _Riptide_ and he felt his heartrate begin to calm again. He glanced over at the clock, which read 2:38 in unforgiving red numbers. 

Then he realized that Nick's bunk was empty.

He bounded down the hall to the head, finding Nick on his hands and knees, heaving what little was in his stomach into the toilet. Cody immediately wrapped himself around him, trying to help support him. Nick was shaking with the effort, still too-warm in his arms. Part of him wanted to call Doc Harris again, but it had been four hours instead of two since Nick had last been sick, which was promising; it meant that the flu was slowly relinquishing its hold. It didn't _feel_ promising, though, not with Nick now simply dry-heaving in between bouts of panting.

After what felt like eternity, Nick finally pulled away, and Cody helped him rinse out his mouth and clean up. Nick didn't seem inclined to stand up just yet, so Cody let him lean against him, eyelashes tickling his shoulder, until he'd recovered a little. He could feel Nick's heartbeat, hear his every breath. Cody remembered how bad he'd felt two weeks ago, how every muscle had ached, how his throat had been raw, how he'd felt too warm for most of it. _And I was only sick for one day. Nick's at the end of day two._ He remembered how gentle and helpful Nick had been, how he'd taken such good care of him. Cody ran his free hand up and down Nick's back, keeping the touch light. Nick leaned a little more, and Cody realized he was falling asleep. "Hey, c'mon, babe, wake up," said Cody quietly. "C'mon, you need to make it back to bed. The head's not built for sleeping."

"Mm," rasped Nick, obviously not entirely awake.

"Nick," said Cody, a little more loudly. "Wake up, babe."

Nick opened his eyes, looking bewildered.

"C'mon, back to bed." Cody helped Nick stand up; he was wobbly on his feet, and Cody anchored him as best he could, practically carrying him back to the bunk by the time they reached the cabin. Nick seemed to fall asleep before Cody even finished tucking him in, and he watched him breathe for a long moment, until he was satisfied that Nick was okay and he could go back to bed.

* * *

Morning light filtered in through the blinds, and Cody yawned, stretching in his bunk and feeling happy to be home aboard the _Riptide_ again. 

He heard water running in the head, and guessed that Murray was up and about. 

Until he looked over at Nick's bunk.

_Damn. Not again._

Nick was in the head, rinsing out his mouth, looking absolutely exhausted. His hair was tousled, there were dark circles under his eyes, and he still looked way too pale. "I'm calling Doc Harris again," said Cody. "And you're getting back in bed."

"You don't..." Nick coughed, his whole face screwed up in pain.

"Don't talk," ordered Cody. "Bed. Now." He waited, refusing to back down, until Nick finally nodded reluctantly. After he tucked Nick back in under the covers, he picked up the phone. Nick gave him a look. "I know, it's been six hours in between this time and you think you're over it and everything's fine. But I want to hear it from Doc, not you." He fixed him with his most stubborn look and Nick finally backed down.

Doc sounded like he'd been expecting the call and reiterated that Nick should drink as much as possible, rest, and try bland foods when he was ready. Cody took a calming breath after hanging up and tried to let the panic go.

Murray came into their room, yawning and scratching his head. "Guys?"

"Hey, Murray, good morning. How are you feeling?" asked Cody, turning to look at him.

"Better." Murray yawned again. "Though I think I'll take a nap today...Nick?" He took a step closer. "Are you okay?"

Nick opened his eyes. "Yeah..." He winced and put his hand on his throat, looking guilty.

Cody suddenly realized something. "You didn't know he was sick with the stomach flu, did you?"

"Oh no, Nick, you got it too?" Murray looked chagrined. "I was really hoping it wouldn't infect you as well."

"He's been sick for nearly two days now," said Cody. "At least the worst of it is nearly over."

"I can't believe I didn't notice," said Murray, sounding guilty. "I was just so tired..."

"Murray, it's okay," soothed Cody, coming over and resting his hand on Murray's arm. "Nick's okay. He's just going to drink some Gatorade and try to sleep for a while. How about you take a shower, and then I'll make you breakfast?"

Murray hesitated, but then nodded. "That sounds nice. Nick, I hope you feel better."

Nick made a noise of assent, and then Murray left. "You need to drink a little," said Cody. "I'll help you sit up." After he made sure that Nick sipped a little Gatorade, he helped him get situated under the covers again. "Do you want anything else? Crackers?" The wince he got in return told him everything he needed to know. "I'm going to go make breakfast for Murray. If you wake up, make sure you drink some more."

Nick nodded once, then closed his eyes.

There was very little left in the fridge; an egg, a half-stick of butter. There were some supplies on the table, mostly crackers and a loaf of bread, liquid ibuprofen, a half-full bottle of Gatorade, a bag of potatoes with only four potatoes left in it. Cody gathered the dirty dishes that were all over the counter and the table together and stacked them in the sink. 

There weren't a lot of options. Cody decided to scramble the egg, and he cut up a potato and fried it with a little butter, hoping Murray's stomach could handle it. He poured a big glass of Gatorade and had it all on the table when Murray sat down.

"Oh, thank you, Cody!" Murray attacked his breakfast with relish. "Mmm, this is great! I've been eating toast and crackers for days." He beamed at Cody.

"Don't forget to drink, too," said Cody.

"Oh yes, I know the value of proper hydration." He took a healthy swig from the glass. 

"Can you watch Nick later while I go out to get some groceries?"

"Of course." Murray turned quiet for a moment. "I think...we don't have much in the cigar box right now."

"Oh." Cody hadn't thought of that. "I have what's left from my trip."

"I'm supposed to be getting a royalty check." He scooped more eggs on his fork and took a bite. "It's not much, but it should help."

"We'll make it work." He took a bite of his own potatoes.

"I can't believe that I didn't notice that Nick wasn't well." Murray sounded guilty.

"Don't worry about it. He does that sometimes."

"Why?" 

Cody looked up and found that Murray was genuinely curious. "Well...I don't really know. I think...I think it's from when he was growing up. He had to take care of himself, no matter what."

"He had to hide any weakness?" Murray put his fork down. "And it's so ingrained that now he doesn't remember not to."

"Yes." He finished his small portion of potatoes and drank the rest of his water. "I'm off to Vons. I'll check on him before I go, but could you--"

"I'll take good care of him," promised Murray.

"Thanks." Cody smiled.

* * *

Vons was packed. Cody fought his way through the produce section, bought more bread and potatoes, milk, orange juice, chicken. Anything he could think of. Fixings for soup. Carrots. He spent all the money he had in his wallet, leaving his total net worth as two dollars in loose change in the dash of the Jimmy.

He loaded the groceries into the passenger side of the truck. On the way home he squashed the temptation to call the _Riptide_ , not wanting to wake either of them if they were sleeping. He could feel the tension growing in his shoulders as he drove the last few miles.

Before he unpacked the groceries he ran down to check on Nick. He tried to be quiet, but Nick startled, looking muzzy and confused. Cody calmed him down with some murmured words and pulled the sheet from his own bed to swap for Nick's, which was lightly damp with sweat.

On the way back to the galley he dialed the temperature down a few degrees to make it a little easier for Nick to sleep. He found Murray in his room, working on his computer. "Hey, I'm back." The room was warm, as it always was with so many electronic devices running, and he had no worry that Murray would catch a chill. 

"You won't believe what I just found!" gushed Murray. "I've isolated the feedback issue--I've worked out the loop that was occurring and I know how to fix it!"

"That's wonderful, Boz." Cody grinned and gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Listen, I'm going to get some soup going. Afterward I need to do some laundry--"

"Do you need me to help?"

"Well, I was hoping you could keep an eye on Nick again."

Murray nodded enthusiastically. "I'll help you out however I can, Cody!"

"Thanks. Sorry, I've got to get back to the groceries. Good luck with the Roboz's vocals."

Back in the kitchen he started the stockpot going and put the chicken in the water with carrots, celery, and onion. Satisfied that the soup was well underway, he went back to the cabin and took one of his duffel bags along with a basket with sheets and Nick's clothes. Nick didn't wake up at all.

"Off to the laundromat," he told Murray as he left.

He was on pins and needles as he waited for the laundry to finish. He drove back twice just to make sure Nick was resting well. It wasn't that he didn't trust Murray; he just couldn't help himself. Coming back from the trip to Florida to find that _both_ of his partners were ill had really made him feel off-balance. He ended up only washing the sheets, Nick's clothes, and a few of the pieces from his duffel, partly because he'd run out of change, and partly because he couldn't stand waiting any longer.

Back on the _Riptide_ , he checked on Nick again, making him drink a little more. Nick was not exactly appreciative, but complied, and then Cody went back to the galley. The chicken was already smelling savory in its pot and he closed the lid back on it and went to find Murray, who was yawning at his terminal. "Time to take a nap," insisted Cody, and Murray readily agreed.

Cody made himself a quick lunch and then went to work picking up the salon. He gathered dirty plates and cups, emptied out half-full cans, organized papers, and then cleaned everything he could clean quietly. He moved to the galley and washed the dishes, cleaned the table, and tossed everything that had expired in the fridge.

He'd nearly finished with the kitchen when he heard the sound of unsteady footsteps in the hallway, and he rushed over just in time to find Nick back in the head, dry-heaving weakly. "Damn," said Cody. He did his best to help steady him, putting a comforting arm around him, lending him as much support as he could. When Nick finished, Cody helped him rinse his mouth out. Nick put the palm of his hand against his forehead, wincing. "Headache?" asked Cody. Nick nodded, looking miserable.

"Okay, let's take it slow." Cody pulled him to his feet and held him close, feeling him tremble. "I should call Doc, too--"

"Don't need to," rasped Nick. "I think...that was the last."

"You said that last time."

"Mean it this time."

"Sure. C'mon, you need to lie down."

"Mm."

Cody got him back to the cabin and helped him get back in bed. "One more session like that, and I'm taking you to the ER," he promised.

"Tol' you..."

"I know, that was the last. Sleep, Nick, just rest. If you wake up, drink something, okay?"

Nick's steady breathing was his only answer.

* * *

Murray enjoyed the soup enthusiastically in between excited explanations of the Roboz's new vocal synthesizer. Cody listened, happy to hear his familiar voice after two weeks of his mother and her barrage of biddies arguing over the best place to set up the flowered arch for the ceremony.

Being home was a wonderful feeling. Being with his best friends, his partners--he wouldn't trade that for the world. 

_If only Nick felt better._ The soup was good, rich and tasty, and he wished Nick was up to eating something already. The soup would keep until he was ready, of course, but he wished he could eat some now; it would ease some of the worry that crawled around in his head.

Murray was talking about the ramifications of a talking Roboz, and how it could change their business, especially if they ran another ad campaign. The Roboz could act as secretary, switchboard operator, and more. He could schedule cases and take some of their workload.

"Well, when we have a workload," added Murray. 

"True." Cody couldn't help looking at the hallway every few minutes, listening to make sure Nick was okay.

"We'll have to check the mailbox tomorrow for the royalty check. Blazin' Bytes said they were mailing it yesterday." Murray drank the rest of his soup and then set down his empty bowl. "That was delicious! You always make the best soup."

"Thanks." Cody finished his own soup and picked up the empty bowls, putting them in the sink for later.

"How is Nick feeling?"

"He was sick again." Cody tried to keep the worry out of his voice. "They've been further and further apart, so I guess that's something, but still...he's been throwing up for two days now. I told him if he throws up again he's going to the ER whether he wants to or not."

"That sounds like a good plan." Murray drank the last of the Gatorade in his glass. "I really think he'll be okay, Cody."

"I know." Cody tried leaning casually against the kitchen sink but couldn't quite manage it. "I know you're right, but..." _It scares me to see him like this._

Murray had a knowing look in his eyes as he got up and gave him a quick hug before heading back to his room.

* * *

Cody cajoled Nick into drinking a full glass of Gatorade, which he counted as a major victory. Granted, it was a small glass, but it was more than he'd managed at any other point. He was tired, and it was nearly ten o'clock, so he brushed his teeth and got ready for bed. Nick had gone back to sleep, one arm on top of the sheet, his black hair sticking up in all directions against the pillow.

After reading a few pages of _Yachting_ , Cody yawned and switched off the light, letting himself slide down into sleep. He dreamt of the heat of Florida, of trying to balance a huge wedding cake on one hand while ice-skating, of the jungle in 'Nam. The last one woke him up and he stayed still in the dark, trying to catch his breath.

Instinctively, he got up and went to check on Nick, and was alarmed to find him shivering. He immediately adjusted the temperature on the _Riptide_ and then went back to Nick's bunk, touching his arm and finding it too cool for his liking. 

Cody frowned. On one hand, he was glad that the fever had broken, but on the other, he wasn't sure how to help him warm up quickly. A shower seemed to be the logical choice, but he doubted that Nick could stand still long enough. He could put extra blankets on, but still, it would take some time for Nick to get warm again.

That made up his mind for him. He grabbed the blanket from his own bunk and spread it over Nick, and then woke him up enough to get him to drink a little Gatorade and move closer to the wall.

Then he peeled back the covers and got in, wrapping himself around Nick. Nick startled at first, but then wriggled closer, clearly wanting his warmth.

"That's it," said Cody. "I've got you." He pulled him closer with his right arm, and Nick made a rough noise; Cody remembered how sore and tender his stomach muscles had been after throwing up for twenty-four hours, and eased off, gently stroking instead, keeping the pressure light. Nick exhaled then, a light sigh of relief, and Cody continued to rub light circles on his belly. Gradually Nick's shivers melted away, turning into the slow, peaceful breathing that meant that he was deeply asleep.

Part of him knew that Nick was warm enough now, that he didn't have to keep holding him, but he didn't want to let go and get back in his own bunk. Years ago, after Nick had lost his best friend Bobby while they were in 'Nam, Cody had held him in a foxhole just like this, giving him comfort the only way he'd accept it, and it felt just as natural as it had then. Cody inhaled the scent of Nick's hair and held him closer, wishing he could take away the pain for him.

* * *

Cody yawned and rubbed at his eyes with one hand. The morning sun was filtering through the blinds, and he felt Nick waking next to him, his body warm against his own. "Hey," said Cody. "Feel like a shower?"

"Yeah," rasped Nick, but he made no move to get up.

"How about some soup? Crackers? Toast?"

There was a long pause. "Maybe?"

"Okay. How about you get up, and decide if you want to eat or shower first."

"Shower." Nick coughed.

Cody carefully extricated himself from the bunk and then pulled back the covers, letting Nick grab his arm and haul himself up into a sitting position. He still looked awful, dark circles under his eyes, his hair sticking out in every direction, too pale, with the look of having lost a few pounds suddenly, but he did seem just a little better. It was enough for Cody not to drag him to the ER. And he hadn't been sick again, which was an improvement as well.

He went and checked on Murray and came back down to find Nick in the hallway, doggedly inching toward the head, and Cody slipped an arm around his waist and helped him across the last few feet. He ran water for him, and left one of the fresh towels from the laundromat on the rack. Back in the galley, he started warming the soup, and opened a package of fresh crackers. Murray came down, yawning. "How's Nick feeling?"

"A little better." Cody couldn't help but grin. "He's taking a shower right now. Soup'll be ready in a few minutes."

Murray nodded and slid into the galley bench seat, opening a book about modulators and starting to read.

Cody went back into the head and found Nick leaning against the wall of the shower with his eyes closed. "Okay, big guy, shower's over," announced Cody. Nick opened his eyes, looking confused for a moment, but didn't fight when Cody turned off the water and gathered him up in a towel. Nick gave him a look that clearly said _I can do this myself_ and Cody returned with a look that said _But you're not going to_.

After he helped Nick get into a set of sweatpants and an old, soft sleeveless shirt, they went to the galley, where the smell of chicken soup made Cody's stomach growl. Based on the look on Nick's face, he probably wouldn't be eating much, but Cody helped him sit down and poured a mug half-full of broth anyway, just in case. He also poured a big glass of Gatorade for him and Murray both, and set down two bowls of soup.

Nick raised the mug to his lips tentatively and took a sip. The reaction on his face wasn't entirely positive, and Cody winced as Nick set the mug down and reached for the Gatorade instead. Murray attacked his soup with relish, chattering about his new plans for a talking Roboz and how it would transform their business.

After a few sips of Gatorade, Nick crossed his arms on the table and put his head down on top of them. Alarmed, Cody put his hand on his shoulder. "Nick?"

"Mm."

"How are you feeling, buddy?"

"Fine. Just...tired."

Cody kept his hand on Nick's back, gently stroking, eating his soup left-handed. 

"You sure you're feeling okay, Nick?" asked Murray. "Maybe you'd be more comfortable if you went back to bed."

"I'm fine." Nick yawned.

"Okay, I'm making an executive decision," said Cody. "Back in bed."

"Aw, c'mon." Nick coughed. "I've been in bed for _days_."

"Why don't you come up into the salon?" suggested Murray. "You can lie down there instead."

Cody wanted to argue, but Nick nodded yes, so he put down his spoon, and they both helped Nick up into the salon. Murray grabbed pillows and a blanket from somewhere--most likely his own bed, because the pillowcases had robots on them--and they set up an impromptu bed for him on the bench seat. Nick sank down into it with a sigh, his eyes falling shut, and Cody closed the blinds. Within moments Nick was asleep.

"I'll go turn off Roboz's voice synthesizer," said Murray brightly. "I don't want to wake him."

Cody nodded. "I'll join you." 

It turned out that Murray had gotten pretty far with his project and that the Roboz was within days of being able to speak. It was pretty impressive, as most of Murray's projects were. Cody spent the morning with him, enjoying the technospeak that he barely understood, and then at lunchtime he went out and woke Nick up for another soup attempt. This time Nick drank a whole mug of broth and didn't look as disconcerted by it. Murray looked like he was completely recovered, which was a relief.

They played Scrabble that afternoon, and Murray won. Nick yawned and couldn't seem to put any words--real or fake--together, but it didn't matter; they were together again and Cody felt the warm glow of being with his two best friends.

* * *

The sunset was one of the better ones Cody'd seen, all orange and pink with bright streaks of clouds, and Nick had watched it with him on the fantail, which made it one of the best. They sat in silence as the sun sank below the curve of the ocean and the stars came out. A light breeze rose up out of nowhere and Cody realized how cool it had gotten. 

Nick followed him below with only a little grumbling. Cody made his bed as Nick brushed his teeth, and when he slid under the covers he sighed. "Thanks for changing the sheets." His voice was still a little hoarse.

"Anytime."

"And thanks...for last night."

"You would have done the same for me." Cody sat down on his bunk. "Just...next time you get sick, don't be so stubborn. You know that Murray would have helped you out with anything, right?"

"Murray was sick too--"

"I know, but he was recovered enough to help you. And I want you to tell me next time, too, no matter what I'm doing."

"It was your mom's wedding day."

"I don't care. Promise me."

Nick exhaled. "Cody, look, I just..."

"Nick, I know that it's not easy for you." Cody put his hand on Nick's arm. "I know that you really hate letting anyone know you're feeling sick. But you have to get over it. We're here for you, just like you're here for us. Would you have been happy if the situation had been reversed?"

"My mom's not getting married anytime soon."

Cody rolled his eyes. "Don't try to change the subject. You would have been angry. And rightly so." He took a deep breath. "You needed help, Nick, and you should have asked for it."

"I was fine--"

"Sure. You were so fine that you couldn't even stand up without help." Cody glared at him. "I want you to promise me that you will tell me next time."

Nick hesitated again, but then nodded. "Okay."

"Good." Cody stroked his arm. "Because finding out the hard way was really...it was bad, Nick, I didn't like coming home and finding you like that."

"Sorry." Nick sounded genuinely contrite.

"You should get some sleep." Cody sat down on the floor in between their bunks and let his hand rest on Nick's wrist. 

Nick's hand turned over and he gripped Cody's wrist. "Love you, man."

"Love you, too." He watched as Nick yawned and his eyes slid shut. His grip loosened and fell away.

Cody kept holding on, watching as Nick breathed.


End file.
